Contributed by Matt Bonner (Reporter)
Friday, March 12, 2010 8:34

The total number of Americans dependent on the government for their daily housing, food, and health care is a staggering 60.8 million.

We are rapidly approaching the point where more than one third of Americans do not pay taxes for benefits they receive.

In 1980, 20 million tax filers paid no taxes; in 2008, 48 million paid nothing.

Since 2001, dependency on government has soared 31%.

Starting in 2016, Social Security will not collect enough taxes to pay all of the promised benefits; this spells serious trouble for HALF of the American workforce that has no other retirement program.

Government grows, Freedom contracts” – Ronald Reagan

Americans are more dependent on government today than ever before and according to a recent study by The Heritage Foundation, we are dangerously close to the tipping point of losing our republican form of government. Consider these alarming facts as presented by the Heritage Foundation’s 2009 Index of Dependence on Government study:

The author of the study, William A Beach, writes, “Dependence on the federal government for life’s many challenges strips civil society of its historical and necessary role in providing aid and renewal through the intimate relationships of family, community, and local institutions and governments”

Beach is exactly right. And the unprecedented quality of life we enjoy today is greatly threatened because of this breakdown in the way our free republic is supposed to work.

“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.” – Thomas Jefferson

Our federal government was designed to serve as protector, not provider. Most of our problems can be traced to ignorance (or blatant disregard) of this simple concept. And it’s important to understand that the increasing dependence of our citizens on the government is directly tied to the ever expanding size and scope of that same government.

For example, according to The Patriot Post, the U.S. economy shed another 36,000 jobs in February while the federal government payroll increased by 7,000 jobs. Think about this for a moment – as the private sector contracts, the government continues to grow. This is incredibly ominous when you consider that the government does not make money, nor does it produce anything, without first confiscating an increasing amount of the hard-earned money of the producing class. (Connect the dots, and you’ll see that this system will eventually collapse as the entitlement/welfare class outnumbers and overburdens the producing class.)

Meanwhile, as this trend continues, the exceptionalism of America will diminish. The products of free market capitalism – technological and medical breakthroughs, and the entrepreneurialism to solve society’s problems – will vanish. Gone will be our freedom to flourish in these life-enhancing (and life-saving) endeavors – all of which have greatly benefited our citizens and millions around the world.

“Americans have always expressed concern about becoming dependent on government, even while understanding that life’s challenges make most people, at one time or another, dependent on aid from someone else,” writes Beach. “This concern stems partly from deeply held views that life’s blessings are more readily obtained by independent people and that growing dependency on government erodes the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement.”

If we do not change the hearts and minds of the people who refuse to break this cycle of dehumanizing and freedom-killing dependency, then we may as well sign our own death warrants. The more we depend on government, the more control they have over us. The more control they have, the less freedom we have to fulfill God’s calling for us – both as individuals and as a nation.

Why not do something about it? Why not urge your representatives to enact legislation to reverse course? Or find just one person who doesn’t understand these basic American concepts and empower them to break free from the chains of dependency that are robbing them of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/24301/Dependence_on_government_death_of_America.html

Funnier than any joke in the joke section!!!

Is that suppose to justify Obama lies???? broken promises???

a person's body....then...is now... a product????....to be taxed by the government....ridiculous!!!

and those with health insurance are not "forced" but "choose" to pay those higher premiums. There are other options.

Obama LIED....admitt it... Obama didn't deliver on that PROMISE....it wasn't the only major campaign promise Obama broke either.

Now here's what worries me....taxes have always been levied on something you had....if you were against the tax, you could avoid the tax by not using the product.....but with Obamacare, taxes will be levied on something you don't have....healthcare... what's next....a tax on people that don't own a car to help pay for those that do?????

Now that opens an interesting CAN OF WORMS!!!

But aren't taxes suppose to be on something you have....not something you don't have! Now that's a can we'd better not open.

Unless there is a contitutional amendment with a formula REQUIRING congress to limit spending, spending will continue to be out of control. Guess it will take a real DEPRESSION for people to wake up.

The GAO submitted 20 bogus products to the EPA and Dept of Energy and 15 of these received "energy efficient" ratings....

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/06/close-enough-for-government-work/

Why r more and more women not wanting to get married anymore?





















Why put up with the whole pig just to get some sausage!!

All while running up trillion dollar deficits which your "tunnel vision" didn't mention. Is Guantanamo still open... R US soldiers still dying? Where is the TSA chief...and the list goes ON AND ON!!!

LMAO - a business stating how Obamacare is gonna effect their bottom line is NOT FEARMONGERING.....unlike the federal government that is increasingly giving away others peoples monies, businesses don't have other companies monies to give away!!!

Not hardly... More like ACTUALITY!!!

Unlike the federal government, businesses that run deficits year after year usually go bankrupt. When profits dry up, capital dries up also.
And as I'm sure you know, when businesses costs go up, the product goes up too or you get less of it!!! ie Healthcare

So why doesn't that logic apply to people....we all r going to pay a lot more, indirectly, of course, because of Obamacare. The hidden cost are probably an additional trillion dollars + .

Towers Watson, a consulting firm, estimates Obamacare will cost US corporations 14 billion dollars this year.

John Distaso, New Hamsphire Union leader, said that for not providing insurance to seasonal workers ski resorts in the state would face over 1 million in fines when the law kicks in.

Consumers Energy, a Michigan gas and electric company with 2.9 million customers, said today it will not cut health care benefits but will instead apply for a rate hike to offset costs that will be created because of health care passage.

And the list grows....

Add AT&T to the list of companies that will now began to change your coverage....and it will be less not more.

When I read number one 1, I kinda chuckle...people don't realize just how close the federal government came to completely taking over the auto and banking industries. What about AIG and Fannie and Freddie. What if this does cause insurers profits to disappear...will they get a bailout....I don't think so...goes back to the singel payer idea for government take over.

Posted Mar 26, 2010 09:32am EDT by Henry Blodget in Healthcare Information, Recession

Remember the part in the ObamaCare pitch when they said if you like your current healthcare, it won't change?

Turns out it might.

Companies are already announcing that their healthcare premium costs are going through the roof. Some are responding by firing people. Some are cutting benefits. And some are presumably eating it.

But costs they are a-rising.

A few examples from the WSJ:
-- Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone.
-- Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers.
-- Verizon announced to employees that it will likely have to cut healthcare benefits to offset the new costs.

So, people who like your employer-provided health insurance, get ready to pay more or get less.


http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/450638/Businesses-React-to-Rising-Cost-of-ObamaCare%3A-Theyre-Cutting-Benefits

using "other people's monies" to pay for things......eventually, "other people" run out of money.

the bill is unconstitutional - NEVER before has a precedent been set that forced someone to do business with a private company or be fined. It would be like making everyone buy auto insurance or pay a fine even if they didn't own or drive a car. Social security and medicare are government run programs thus the difference.